Munch depicts a WIC recipient post-sale.
I just checked out of Giant Eagle, after a particularly soul-crushing WIC transaction. No one was mean to me. The checker was friendly and apologetic after she used some milk coupons on juice and had to go back and redo, causing an additional delay. About four people got in line behind me and subsequently packed up and left because it took so long, but none of them said anything. I didn't notice any dirty looks, although I was carefully avoiding eye contact by staring at any and all inanimate objects in my line of vision.
Oh, and I didn't even use my multi-item coupons. These were six coupons -- three for milk, and three for juice. Easy-peasy, right? Wrong.
So it was nowhere near as horrible as it could have been, but I still fought back tears and a desire for Giant Eagle's ceiling to cave in and crush me with a massive cardboard pill bottle or other POP display.
WIC is easy to qualify for, but difficult to use. Why is that? Why not use swipe cards encoded with information about each recipient's qualifying items? Is that too costly? There are only a small number of coupon packages, so it seems like cards would be easy to produce. The savings in time at the point of sale, and in paper for printing all these coupons, would be significant. Food stamps are on a debit card now -- why couldn't WIC work the same way?
I'm going to do some research on this, and report back. But I'm interested in hearing from you. Does WIC work the same way in your state? Have any states worked out a better system than paper coupons?
Comments
Yep-- same slow, outdated process here. I'm learning to hold my head up when I go through the line, though, and I am getting better-organized with my items...
If anyone begrudges me the time it takes to do it all, I say poo on them. I'm doing something good for my family.
When I was on WIC (three plus years ago) in WA state, it was the same way with the paper coupons. It was really difficult to handle and meant extra trips to the store because it was too time consuming at the register to buy WIC items for three people (each had to be rung up separately) with non-WIC items (again, had to be separated). It was, I have to say, a not-so-fun experience. It definitely could be streamlined if you ask me. I don't think their process has been updated...ever.
I don't have personal experience using WIC, but if I was able to get it I would use one of the WIC specific stores that seem to be popping up in local stip malls. These are stores named things like "Bambino Nutrition" and if you peek inside it looks like they only sell WIC items. Must be a money maker.
It's been ten years since our family was on WIC in Indiana, but I distinctly remember it being exactly like you described. I almost felt like someone made it this way on purpose to make it so tedious that we wouldn't keep using it. My family could qualify for wic now I'm sure, but I avoid it for the very reason that it is a royal pain. My son is disabled and he has been on other gov't programs, all of which I feel are the same way: tedious, humilating, and full of red tape. In the end, you ask yourself: Is this helping or hurting us?Anyway, I think a wic card is an EXCELLENT idea.
I have a friend who was on WIC who lived in Tennessee in a fairly wealthy neighborhood. The clerks at her grocery store didn't know how to use the coupons, so when she came through their line, they paged for "help on aisle 4 for WIC coupons". Nothing like that kind of shame.
When my friend gave her a dirty look, she said, "Sorry, we don't usually get people like you here."
She promptly responded, "What kind of people is that? My husband is a med student and I'm a full time graduate student."
I've been on WIC myself to find it equally complicated and time-consuming. Even though it helped us a lot when we needed it, I was slightly relieved when we didn't need it anymore and didn't even use my last month of coupons.
I live in North Carolina and just <sigh> began my WIC journey last week. I was surprised that the paper coupons are used. It seems a bit archaic. We used them for the first time on Saturday, at a grocery store we don't usually go to, and I too wished that the ceiling would swallow me whole. Another thing I don't understand is that the program is supposed to provide "nutritious" food and yet here they did away with the farmers market fruits and vegetables because no one used those vouchers.
I don't have any personal experience with WIC, but just wanted to leave a comment and let you know to keep hanging on. Hope something wonderful comes your way soon. And, also, the WIC program needs to enter the 1990s at least and start using debit cards - agreed!
Hi Jen,
I read your article and I totally agree. It is sad how WIC participants are looked upon and puzzling as to why the paper coupons are still used. It seems from what I have read that there are different types of coupons in different states, but why they do not use a debit style card, I have no idea. At the very least they could make the paper coupons have bar codes and the checkers could just scan them.
I live in Ohio and I know there is some other program that is on a card system. I think it is the regular food stamp program.
I like your article and I mentioned and linked to it on my blog.
<a href="http://www.wicblog.com/2008/10/another-wic-experience.html">WICBLOG</a>
Hi Jen,
My niece had a similar experience but was totally humiliated in an Indianapolis area store. She needed the WIC benefits as does everyone on the program, but having a limited income and two children she never went back to WIC and chose to struggle even more because she was so humiliated. Your story made the FRAC news wire and I work for a food bank in Pennsylvania. I am appauled by the lack of respect given to Mom's just trying to help their families. I can not understand why it is taking them so long to change this process. It was ok for Food Stamps to go to an automated card, why not WIC! You hang in there, and I totally admire your perserverance to help you family!!
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